Broadway Takeover Summer Intensive Program Announced At Westinghouse Arts Academy

If you're serious about a career on the stage, you want to learn from the very best. And this summer, students in Pittsburgh will actually get this experience, as Westinghouse Arts Academy Charter School brings a panoply of Broadway stars to town for a four-week intensive Broadway Takeover course in dancing, singing and acting, culminating in a production of "Into the Woods" for the public.

Starting June 28 through July 24, this will include Tony Award-nominated actresses Jen Colella ("Come From Away"), Lilli Cooper ("Tootsie"), Caitlin Kinnunen ("The Prom") and Eva Noblezada ("Hadestown," "Miss Saigon"), Taylor Louderman ("Mean Girls"), and Ethan Slater ("Spongebob Squarepants").

Other teachers include actor Ben Bogen, the youngest to ever play Frankie Valli, the lead role in "Jersey Boys," Heather Parcells, who has done everything from "Tuck Everlasting" on Broadway to "Dancing with the Stars" on TV, and Christy Altomare, who originated the Broadway role of Anya in "Anastasia."

Westinghouse Arts Academy is also able to pull in teaching talent from the ultra-prestigious American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), including dancing teacher Dee Tomasetta and voice teacher Christopher Stevens.

This remarkable assemblage of talent was made possible with the help of Westinghouse Arts Academy staff Lindsey Brett Carothers and Jarrett Reiche.

Reiche is a Broadway and television casting professional who works for the legendary Binder Casting team in New York City, which has cast over 150 Broadway, off-Broadway and national touring productions, as well as countless on-camera commercials, voice-overs and print projects.

Carothers is an actress who grew up in Pittsburgh, and made her Broadway debut in "Bring It On: The Musical." She joined the national tour of "Wicked," and was also in the original Broadway cast of "Getting' the Band Back Together." She could also be seen on TV in "Mozart in the Jungle."

"Lindsey and myself haven't left the industry," says Reiche. "That's how we're able to bring this together. Students have never had the experience of working with so many Broadway performers before. It's basically immersing them in the experience as if they were actually working there."

You don't have to be a student at Westinghouse Arts Academy to participate. Everyone who signs up will audition and be cast in the production of "Into the Woods," performed for the public.

"We find it's really special for us to provide opportunities for our friends to come to Pittsburgh. We're only a 5-and-a-half-hour drive!" notes Carothers. "A lot of these people have worked at CLO and love Pittsburgh anyway. It enriches the whole community."

"The reason we came back was because of the pandemic. And a lot of them have really embraced teaching. Performers love to teach in between gigs."

The Total Broadway Experience is ($895) and only 20 spots are available. The Dance Emphasis option is $379. See Broadway Takeover for audition instructions. All the dance classes are live, in-person. Some voice lessons are live, and others are virtual.

"Our goals at Westinghouse Arts Academy are more than providing arts education," says Richard Fosbrink, CEO of Westinghouse Arts Academy Charter Schoool. "We want to be a catalyst for economic and cultural development in the Turtle Creek Valley community. Just as the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust transformed a former red light district in Downtown Pittsburgh, we believe that we can be the same kind of driving force in our community."

"The last 18 months has been a very trying time for everyone but the silver lining for us has been having Jarrett and Lindsey here with us. This has been a real turning point for Westinghouse Arts Academy in the development of its musical theatre program. They've put together an amazing summer program for the community."

"We're creating a bridge from Broadway to the 'Burgh," adds Reiche.

To post a comment, you must register and login.